Method and apparatus for manufacturing barbed wire



June 4, 1940. H, THlEMER 2,203,068

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BARBED WIRE o l1 o I a f, A .I llllllllllll June 4, 1940. v H TH|EMER 2,203,068 l METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BARBED WIRE Filed May 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .B7-9 y v l @LEV/Wel" Patented June 4, 1940 PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFAC- TURING BARBED WIRE Hans Thiemer, Cologne-Mulheim, Germany, as-

signor to Felten & Guilleaume Carlswerk Eisen & Stahl A. G., C'ologne-Mulheim, Germany Application May 19, 1937, Serial No. 143,605 In Germany June 16, 1936 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method and means for fabricating twist free barbed wire.

In the usual method of manufacture of barbed wire, two wires are twisted together by the sup- 5 porting means of the wire storage reels rotating relatively to the supporting means of the winding drum of the finishedr barbed wire. The clusters of barbs are inserted during the twisting operation or just before the twisting place. The arrangement may be such that the frame carrying the wire storage reels rotates, but also the supporting means of the winding drum may rotate. If it is desired to use this method to produce barbed wire from steel wires, the elasticity of the steel wires is found disturbing and the barbed wire shows a. tendency to untwist.

Methods are already known for manufacturing barbed wire from steel wires free of twist. One such method consists in that the clusters of barbs are woven into a steel wire strandvpreviously produced twist free.y According to another method, around a steel wire running straight into the barbed wire machine there is wound without twist another steel wire coming from a storage reel supported in the rotary frame and driven with reverse rotation, land the clusters of barbs are inserted just before or in the stranding position. A still further method consists in that barbed steel wire, produced in a known manner with a twist, is overtwisted on the way to the winding drum by means of guiding members, which rotate in the direction of stranding lbut at increased speed, and the resulting tendency to untwist is allowed to take effect on the further progress upto the winding drum.

According to the present invention7 the methvod and apparatus for fabricating twist free barbed steel wire are based on an entirely different idea. In carrying out the invention there is imparted to each of the wires, from which the barbed wire strand is formed, a rotary movement in the same direction and to such an eX- tent that each of the wires is stressed beyond its elasticity limit. After a barb is wound on the wire, both wires are rotated as a unit around the longitudinal axis of the strand in the same direction as the rotary movement imparted tov o5 the direction and rotary speed of the rotating movement and the strand is therefore free of twist.

The apparatus for carrying out the method differs essentially from the known barbed-wire machines by providing a twisting device between each supply reel and the barb winding means for the purpose of imparting a rotary movement to the individual wires. This twisting device m-ay also be regarded as a distorting device because the individual wires are stressed beyond 10 the elastic limits thereof.

The apparatus for carrying out the method is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: l

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a barbed wire machine 15l according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates a part of the device for feeding the barbed material as seen from the left side 20 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the device for winding the barbed material as seen from above.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is mounted on the bed, plate I of the machine a main driving 25 shaft 2 which is driven by means of a pulley 3 and a belt 4. The rotating and twisting devices 5 and 6 which are coupled together by gear wheels 1, 8 and 9 are driven from the main shaft 2 by means o-f gear wheels I0 and II. The twist- 30` ing devices 5 and 6 are mounted on hollow shafts I2 and I3 and these twisting devices are provided with rollers I4 and I5. The wires I8 and I9 taken from the stationary rotatable reels I6 and I'I are guided through the hollow shafts I2 and 35 I3 and are wound several times round the rollers I4 and I5 so that the wires I8 and I9 are gripped by the rollers I4 and I5 and are twisted when the devices 5 and 6 rotate. y

An auxiliary shaft 22 is coupled with the main 40 shaft 2 of the machine through the gear wheels 20 and 2l. A crank disc 23 is secured to the auxiliary shaft which by means of the crank 24 ac'tuates the swinging lever 25 so as to actuate a pawl 26 and turn the ratchet wheel. 21 and a 45 shaft 28 forwards intermittently during each revolution of the auxiliary shaft 22. The shaft 28l is in this way intermittently rotated so as to providedriving means for feeding the barb forming material.

The barb material 29 and 30 is stored on reels 3| and 32 and passes therefrom over the grooved rolls 33 and 34 which feed the barb material forward. The wires 29 and 30 thereafter pass through guide blocks 35 and 36 which introduce 55 the barb material between the wires I8 andv I9 'before they meet to be twisted together. The upper roll secured on the shaft 28 of the pair of rolls 33 is coupled with the lower roll by means of gear wheels 31 as shown in Fig. 3. The guide blocks 35 and 36 are provided with passages 38 through which the barb material 29 and 36 is introduced between the wires I8 and I9. While the pair of rolls 33 are driven directly by the shaft 28 as described the pair of rolls 34 are coupled with the shaft 28 through the shaft 39, gear wheels 40 and 4I, auxiliary shaft 42 and gear wheels 43 and 44.

The device for winding the barbs consists of a hollow cylinder 46 mounted in the bearing block 45 and fitted at its end with winding fingers 4l.

' A stationary tongue 48 holds the wires I8 and I9 apart just prior to the twisting place and this tongue projects into the hollow space of the cylinder 46 as shown in Fig. 4. A crank disc 56 mounted on the auxiliary shaft 22 actuates a swinging lever 52 by means of the crank 5I and a toothed segment 53 of the lever 52 engages teeth 49 on the cylinder 46 so as to drive the barb winding means. The arrangement is made such that the cylinder' 46 carrying the winding fingers 41 is actuated at the moment when the barb material Z9 and 39 has been pushed by means of the pairs of rolls 33 and 34 through the bores 33 o-f the guide blocks 55 and 36 and between the wires I8 and I9 to such a distance that it can be engaged by the ngers 4l ofthe hollow cylinder 46.

The device for cutting the barb material 29 and 3B includes a rotatably mounted carrier having cutters 55 and 56 and an angular lever 5l. Another auxiliary shaft 58 is provided for driving the barb cutting device which is coupled with the main shaft 2 by means of gear wheels 59 and 69. The other end of the. shaft 58 carries a crank disc 6I which by means of a crank 62 actuates the lever 5'I of the barb cutting device. When the cutters 55 and 56 move upwards their cutting edges slide along the surfaces 63 and 64 o-f the guide blocks 35 and 36 and thereby sever the barb material projecting out of the passages 38. The arrangement is such that the cutters 55 and 56 are moved upwards on thev surfaces 63 and 64 of the guiding blocks 35 and 36 each time the barb material has been wound round the wires I8 and I9 by means of the finger 41 of the lbarb winding device.

A winding drum 65 for receiving the finished barb strand is mounted in a rotatable frame 66. This frame is coupled with the main shaft 2 by means of gear wheels 6'! and 68 and is driven in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as that imparted to the wires I8 and I9 by the twisting devices 5 and 6. The drum 65 is driven by means of a belt 69 which rotates the pulley In mounted on an auxiliary shaft 'II arranged in the hollow shaft of the gear wheel 68. The auxiliary shaft 'II is coupled to the drum 65 by means of gear wheels l?. and 13.

Since the wires I 8 and I9 slip somewhat on the rollers I4 and I5 of the twisting devices 5 and 6 these devices must be driven at a somewhat greater speed than the frame 66 of the winding drum for receiving the nished barb wire so that the finished barb wire will actually have the same speed as the individual wires I 8 and I9.

Although the apparatus has been described for carrying out a method of fabricating barbed wire it will be appreciated that the invention is apl. A method of fabricating barbedwire which comp-rises, arranging a wire extending from each of at least two sources of supply adjacent each other vat a point spaced away from the wire suplply, imparting a turning movement to each wire so that each wire is rotated around its longitudinal axis prior to the confluence of the wires whereby each. of the wires are wrapped around each other', winding a barb on the wires, thereafter turning the two wires around the axis of the strand in the direction of the turning movement imparted to the individual wires, and winding the strand in a continuous circular form.

2. A method of fabricating barbed wire which comprises, arranging a, wire extending from each of at least two sources of supply adjacent each other at a point positioned away from the supply, imparting a similar twisting movement to each wir@ so that each wire is rotated in the same direction around its longitudinal axis prior to the conuence of the wires whereby suchturning movement of each wire causes the wires to be wrapped around each other, winding a barb around the wires, thereafter turning the two wires around the axis 'of the strand in the same direction as the turning movement imparted to the individual wires, and winding the strand in reel form.

3. A method of fabricating barbed wire which comprises, arranging a wire extending from each of at least two sources of supply adjacent each other at a point positioned away from the supply, imparting a similar twisting movement to each wire so that each wire is rotated inthe same direction around its longitudinal axis prior to the confluence of the wires whereby such twisting movement of each wire causesl the wires to be wrapped around each other, winding a barb around the wires, thereafter rotating the two wires as a unit around the longitudinal axis of the strand in the same direction as the twisting movement imparted to the individual wires and at the same speed of rotation, and winding the strand in a continuous circular form.

4. A method of fabricating barbed wire which comprises, arranging a wire extending from: each of at least two 'sources of supply adjacent each other -at a point spaced away from the supply,

rotating each wire around its longitudinal axis in the samedirection and to such an extent as to strain each wire beyond its elastic limit prior to the conuence of the wires so that the longitudinally adjacent parts of the wires are wrapped around each other, winding a barb on the wires,

uo i

thereafter rotating the two wires around the 5. A method of fabricating barbed wire which comprises, arranging a plurality of steel wires each extending from a separate source of supply adjacent each other, rotating the supply end of each wire around its longitudinal axis in the same direction and to such an extent as to strain each wire beyond its elastic limit, winding a barb on the Wires, rotating all of the steel wires bodily around the longitudinal axis of all the wires, said second mentioned rotation being in the same direction as the turning movement imparted to the individual steel wires and at a speed substantially equal to that of the turning movement of each individual Wire, and winding the Wires in circular form simultaneously with the'rotation of the longitudinal axis of the Wires. 6. A method of fabricating a stranded cable lwhich comprises, arranging the Wires extending from a plurality of individual sources of supply adjacent each other at a point spaced away from each supply, imparting a similar rotating movement to ea'ch vvire vso that each Wire is rotated in the same direction around its longitudinal axis prior to the confluence of the Wires, and thereafter rotating all the Wires as a unit around the common longitudinal axis of the wires at a speed of rotation substantially equal to that of the individual turning movements, and Winding the wires in convolution form.

'7. Apparatus for fabricating stranded Wire comprising in combination,l a plurality of wire storage reels, means for guiding the Wire extending from each of said reels to a position adjacent each other, means for individually turning the supply end of each of said Wires'around the longitudinal axis of each wire, means for rotating the wires around the common longitudinal axis of the Wires in the same direction of rotation as that of said rst mentioned rotating means, and means for Winding the stranded Wire in reel form.

8. Apparatus for fabricating barbed Wire comprising in combination, at least two axially stationary rotatable reels each having a sup-ply of wire thereon, guiding means for moving a wire extending from each reel to a position adjacent each other, means associated with each of said Wires for twisting each wire around its longitudinal axis prior to the yconfluence of the wires s0 that the wires are caused to be wrapped around ea'ch other, means for winding a barb on said wires, a rotating drum for Winding the stranded Wire formed by said twisting means, and means for simultaneously turningthe strand around the longitudinal axis thereof and in the same direction as that of the twisting movement imparted t0 each individual Wire.

9.` Apparatus :for fabricating barbed wire comprisingy in combination, two reels each having a supply of wire thereon, guiding means for moving a Wire extending from each reel to a position adjacent each other, barbing means arranged adjacent the confluence of the Wires for Winding barbs on the wire and cutting the same, distorting means associated with ea'ch of said wires at a point intermediate of said barbing device and the respective storage reel, each of said distorting devices being adapted to turn each rwire around its longitudinal axis, a rotating drum for Winding the Wires, and means for rotating the wires around the common longitudinal axis thereof and f in the same direction as that of the rotating movement imparted to each individual Wire.

10. A method of fabricating a stranded cable which comprises, arranging the Wires extending from a plurality of individual sources of supply adjacent each other at a point spaced away from each supply, rotating each Wire around its longitudinal axis inthe same direction and to such an extent as to strain each Wire beyond its elastic limit prior to the confluence of the Wires, and thereafter rotating all the wires as a unit around the com-mon longitudinal axis of the Wires at a speed of rotation substantially equal to that of the individual turning movements, and winding the wires in convolution form. 

